


Books, Coffee and Snowflakes in his hair

by ethereal_larry



Series: Boys, Love and Equal Eternity [2]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Books, Christmas, Coffee, Cute, Fluffy, Lashton - Freeform, Love, M/M, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2018-03-22 02:34:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3711589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethereal_larry/pseuds/ethereal_larry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke was the cutest and the smartes person Ashton ever met. And even though Ashton was never afrain of anything, he was terryfied to talk to the boy who always read the same book. But maybe if he did, everything would change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Books, Coffee and Snowflakes in his hair

**Author's Note:**

> A Christmas fluffy one shot.

I could stare at him all day and I wouldn't get bored. I could just sink into the fondness of his look and drown in his cuteness. His bright blond hair always being all perfect, fitting his angelic look so much it almost physically hurt to see someone so beautiful as him sitting alone every single day. Although he seemed happy as he sipped on his coffee in a spotted blue and purple vacuum bottle and flipped through the pages of a worn book he read so many times he must have known it by heart by now for sure. And I would always let him borrow it for a single afternoon. And when the day comes to it's end I would hide his book from everyone else so I would be able to see his smile again and again as I check his order out the very next day. It was same every day, yet still so different and amazing, heartbreaking and mesmerizing. Because he never noticed... And I would stare just as how his eyes were flickering over the pages, with single sparkles glowing from his gaze. His cheeks would turn pinkish red as he inaudibly, amazingly giggled when reading something I would die for me being the writer. I would die for being the reason to make him smile. To make his eyes all sparkly silver that the blueness disappeared and was replaced by something equally beautiful, something that would slightly remind you of an addiction and a love, too. I would lay my life to be one of his old, shattered and cut books. To be a piece of a paper and ink, the pages he was touching so gently, like if being scared of hurting them. To be something he would hold on so tight, with his fingers being curled up my sides, thinking about me so deeply in the corner of his mind, resting there... Maybe even worshipping me.  
He would sit here every afternoon, here in this small college library. He would bring his coffee and a warm sweater in a cream pink colour, that was maybe too baggy for him, that had it's sleeves too long so they covered half of his palms and he would put on his black glasses that looked so adorable it made me sigh from time to time. And I would just look at him like he was the sun and the moon and all the stars in the sky, leaning back in my chair behind the desk I worked at, biting my lip and couraging myself to make the first step and talk to him. But would he want to talk to someone like me? I was dumb, I've never read a whole book. Even though I would read a whole library if he asked me to. I was covered in tattoos when his skin was so innocent, despite the cute lip ring he had, and cream and it was showing me his veins on his wrists every time he handed me his card and I would stare a little longer and make him blush and half smile and it would make my heart pound like a heart of a nightingale just by the flawless human being in front of me. And sometimes our fingers would accidentally brush and my belly would be full of butterflies, my brains would try to explode in such intense feeling of the angel being the nearest he'll ever be to me. He always looked so pretty in the dim light of the lamp he was sitting under. He usually sat at one small table for one by the window, right across the room. I had the perfect view, but maybe it was more torturing because I would always send him glances and never focus on anything else because he was too much of an undeniable, irresistible distraction, having that kind of energy that was around him like a rainbow aura.  
And I would just stare and it would be enough for hours and hours...  
*  
"I'll have this, please," he blushed as his voice, always so tiny and silent, spoke up from the other side of the desk. He was so close I could smell his vanilla shower gel and I got a bit lost in his beautiful blue eyes.  
I checked his order out with a small sheepish smile, just corners of my mouth tugged up and handed him the book I already knew the title and the author of.  
I thought I would lose my mind when he turned around and walked to his reserved place and bend over to place his coffee cup on the table. He sat down with a silent thud and opened the book he always read. The picture of Dorian Gray. He smiled to himself and I was drowning in his cuteness because it was shining so brightly, blinding me in the most comfortable way. He was the only person in this room except me and I suddenly felt like we were supposed to be alone today and I felt so courageous like never before.  
I stood up and my shaking legs refused to hold me for a little bit of time. I cursed under my breath because of how much I was over and into this kid and it was kind of absurdly strange. I tried to swallow the lump that was created in my throat and took a deep breath before skipping the space between us. My stomach was full of butterflies and I had to steady myself by racing a hand through my curls.  
"Uhm... Hey," I blushed. I couldn't stop staring at him like he was the only sharp thing in the blurry picture. He glanced up at me, eyes confused, mouth opened and I felt the biggest urge to kiss him. To feel his pretty pink lips on mines. To feel the coldness of his lip piercing that suited him so well even though he wasn't the type to have it.  
"Hi," he smiled and closed his book, one finger left there not to lose the page he's been on.  
"Do you need something?" he asked sweetly when I remained speechless. Because he was so beautiful I was scared to even think out loud, I was scared of breaking him.  
"I.. um... no, not really. I just wanted to ask you something." I almost whispered and he smiled brightly again. I scratched the back of my neck and bit my lip. His eyes never left mines and it was just as beautiful as I imagined.  
"Yes?"  
"I wanted to ask you if... Uh, I wanted to ask why are you always reading this book?" I internally face palmed because of how weak I was. I can't even ask a guy on a date without stuttering and changing the subject.  
"Oh," his smile dropped a bit but was soon replaced with another one almost as bright as before, "I guess I just love the book so much. It is some kind of inspirational and I feel some kind of special when reading it and I don't know it might sound stupid but I feel like it's my friend and it keeps me company and I think I can't really stay a day without reading my favourite lines you know. That's why I read it all over again. And I feel like every time I read it I find something new, something newly beautiful between the lines and it sort of overwhelms me. I'm sorry, I'm weird," he giggled at the end and my heart melted like an ice cream on a hot summer day. The way he talked about his book was the way I would love him to talk about me. With such love and adoration and it was breathtaking because I've never heard anyone talk like this about something as common as books. He made them sound like they had their own lives and were his friends and I somehow believed him every single word.  
"I don't think you're weird... I think that you're really beautiful, uh I mean the way you talk about a book is beautiful." I felt the heat getting into my cheeks and I giggled in the way I hated myself for because it was everything but not as cute as his giggling.  
"You're cute, thank you," he sipped on his coffee and leaned against the armchair and my knees were like a jelly as I blushed even harder, my cheeks were burning red and my hands were sweating. He told me I was cute. My heart was pounding like a heart of a purring cat and I even felt as pleased as one.  
"Uhm well, I better go back to work... I loved talking to you," I waved goodbye to him because I was getting embarrassed more and more every second.  
"Yeah," he huffed and waved as well.  
"Wait, what's your name, curly?" he added and smiled again. God his smile was so beautiful.  
"I'm Ashton and you?"  
"Luke."  
____  
"Hey, Luke," I smiled from behind the counter and the blondie walked in.  
"Just like always?" I asked, already having his book on the desk. He chuckled softly and placed his hands on the wood between us.  
"Yes, please."  
"You know me so well," he added when I was handing him the worn out printed copy of Dorian Gray.  
"You know, I've been checking this out for you every day. But, don't get me wrong, I don't know what's so special about this book. I've never read it though." I scratched my neck in embarrassment.  
"You've never read The picture of Dorian Gray? " He gasped in surprise. I just smiled down and shook my head.  
"Okay. Let me read it out loud for you." he said, fondly and firmly. I didn't even think about saying no to him so I just nodded and he sat beside me on an armchair. This was the first time he hadn't sat at his usual place. I felt special.  
He cleared his throat before opening the book on the first page. I leaned against the desk and looked at his face, so focused on giving me the best expression of the book he loved. On making me think about the book the same way he does.  
"The studio was filled with the rich odour of roses, and when the light summer wind stirred amidst the trees of the garden, there came through the open door the heavy scent of the lilac, or the more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn.  
From the corner of the divan of Persian saddle-bags on which he was lying, smoking, as was his custom, innumerable cigarettes, Lord Henry Wotton could just catch the gleam of the honey-sweet and honey-coloured blossoms of a laburnum, whose tremulous branches seemed hardly able to bear the burden of a beauty so flame like as theirs; and now and then the fantastic shadows of birds in flight flitted across the long tussore-silk curtains that were stretched in front of the huge window, producing a kind of momentary Japanese effect, and making him think of those pallid, jade-faced painters of Tokyo who, through the medium of an art that is necessarily immobile, seek to convey the sense of swiftness and motion. The sullen murmur of the bees shouldering their way through the long unmown grass, or circling with monotonous insistence round the dusty gilt horns of the straggling woodbine, seemed to make the stillness more oppressive. The dim roar of London was like the bourdon note of a distant organ.  
In the centre of the room, clamped to an upright easel, stood the full-length portrait of a young man of extraordinary personal beauty, and in front of it, some little distance away, was sitting the artist himself, Basil Hallward, whose sudden disappearance some years ago caused, at the time, such public excitement and gave rise to so many strange conjectures.  
As the painter looked at the gracious and comely form he had so skilfully mirrored in his art, a smile of pleasure passed across his face, and seemed about to linger there. But he suddenly started up, and closing his eyes, placed his fingers upon the lids, as though he sought to imprison within his brain some curious dream from which he feared he might awake."  
He was reading and his voice was low and angelic and it was everything I wanted to listen to for the rest of my life. He was perfect. Everything about him seemed like a fairy tale to me and I just wished that there was no poisoned apple hidden for me somewhere.  
"I've always wanted someone to make such a beautiful picture of me just like Basil made of Dorian. He obviously adores him." he looked up from the book to my face and I could feel a smile spreading all over my face. It hit my eyes as well. He was my only reason to smile...  
"I'm sure someone already does feel the same about you at the moment..." I whispered, because saying it out loud might crash the moment and destroy the emotions we've created.  
"I wish he would..." he whispered back and my heart started it's race again.  
"Continue, please... "  
____  
Our shoulders were brushing together as I walked him home from the tiny cozy cafe I took him to. It was cold outside, snow was falling lightly from the sky and it was a nice ending of a great December afternoon. The snowflakes were resting in his blonde hair where he hadn't had his beanie and he looked even more adorable than ever. He had his arms wrapped around his body dressed in a light coat. His cheeks were rosy from the coldness.  
We were silent but it was somehow comfortable because we've been talking the whole afternoon. It felt like we've known each other forever. At first I was a bit shy. When he asked me if I would like to have a cup of coffee with him some afternoon I was on cloud nine. It was like a punch in my face with a red rose. I stuttered a small yes and his face lit up like a Christmas decoration in London. He suggested me picking the place so I took him to my favorite one. It was small in there but it smelled nice, smelled like the best coffee you've never had and it smelled like lavender and roses and a perfect mixture of all three. There weren't any chairs, just white pillows on the black carpet and small white tables. I would come here to relax, I've never really brought anyone with me so when we came in the bartender I've developed firm friendship with was slightly surprised. I gave him a small smile and we went to the corner, to my favourite spot. We then had a conversation about everything and nothing that lasted for hours but never seemed to bore. It was perfect.  
I couraged myself after some while and wrapped my right arm around his torso. He leaned a bit against me and I felt those butterflies again. He was my weakness and I finally realized he could be the one to make me really happy.  
"Thank you, I'm really cold," he smiled at me, "and you're so warm."  
I smiled at him, too.  
"You should have dressed warmer, sweetie. But I don't mind holding you as well." I smirked a bit, getting more and more self confident around him. He chuckled but didn't say a word until we reached the campus.  
"We're here," he said almost sadly, but the happiness of the warmer future was audible in his voice too much to say he was particularly sad. However, I was. I was and it was coming so fast I wasn't ready to let him go after such beautiful time spent together.  
"So... I guess this is a goodbye?" I asked and actually didn't want his answer. It was too early and too late to say goodbye. Because despite knowing I'd see him again I felt like it won't ever be the same as it was now. Because now we were in our perfect bubble of nothingness where everything was just right in it's place. When we both knew we wanted to be right here, right with each other.  
"Well... if you want to go upstairs?" he sheepishly suggested and my stomach made a back flip, because he sounded so innocent, saying these words that it left me in a complete awe. But there was this thing that I knew how it would end and I didn't want it this way. I didn't want him to feel pressed so I just leaned towards him and give him a small kiss on his cheekbone.  
"You're cold and probably tired. See you tomorrow, Luke," I caressed his cheek with my gloved hand one more time and he smiled the way only he knew how to and it brightened the day. And just as I was leaving his face a little snowflake fell on my palm and it was somehow as perfect as Luke was and he stared at the frozen water, it's shape sharp and regular and then we both got lost in space and found ourselves in paradise as he cupped my face with his hands and leaned in to connect our lips in slow affectionate movements just to try, to taste, to tease with his owns. It started as a close mouthed kiss, but when he ran his tongue on my bottom lip I let him in and soon we were dancing and realizing that this was what made today just flawless. And we were kissing, but the kisses were a lot more and more and more has never felt the same before because this was more with him and everything about him was so new and so understandably amazing. It was like a dream you have in the middle of a night and when we parted, breathing heavy and eyes watery, it was like when you wake up from that dream in the middle of a night but you still remember how it tasted, how it felt twisting around your mind and you still have that half smile on you lips and dream about dreaming it again. This is how I felt when our lips touched again with just an almost childish peck.  
"See you, Ashton," he squeezed my hand and then walked away in the direction of the front door and I watched him till the moment the door shut behind him, clearly leaving me alone. So I sighed and turned around to walk home. The smile was still there when I unlocked my apartement.  
____  
It was already 20th of December and I still hadn't gotten Luke a Christmas present. I was desperate because nothing was half as perfect as he was so there was no point in giving him something that wasn't even worth his attention.  
So I kept thinking and walking around the city, coming in every shop and leaving without buying anything. I was trying to find the perfect present for almost two weeks now and I still didn't even have an idea. My position was helpless.  
After hours and hours of wandering through the mall and the center I found the littlest bookshop I've ever seen in one one way road and after that I felt like this was the shop I've been looking for. I opened the door and it ringed the little bell above and my nose was immediately filled with the smell of old books and ink and I thought about how happy he'd be if he was here with me.  
"Hello," I greeted the old man that was flipping through some book himself.  
"What's you wish, young man?" he gently said and I thought for a moment.  
"Do you have some nice and you know, some kind of original copy of The picture of Dorian Gray?" I asked and it suddenly made so much sense it almost physically hurt.  
"Well... Yeah, I do actually." he smiled and bent down to open one drawer and took out a black, leather book. The silver lining was beautiful when saying the title and the author. I took it in my hands and caressed it like it was some kind of treasure. After a while of admiring this beautiful piece of art I took out my wallet and paid for it.  
I took the book home and wrapped it into a Christmas paper. I even put a little pink bow on it. It looked almost as beautiful as Luke was. I smiled proudly at my present.  
____  
It was 24th of December and I was meeting Luke in our library. It should have been closed but I persuaded the owner to let me in. I thought that it was the perfect place for us to be together, again alone.  
I waited for him to come and I was getting more and more nervous. I kept fiddling with the hem of my shirt and kept glancing at my present in fear of it miraculously disappearing any minute. I needed this, I needed today to be perfect.  
And then the door opened and he walked in in his oversized light pink sweater and I fell in love all over again.  
"Hi," he said and even this tiny word made me smile.  
"Hi," I wrapped him in a hug and held him longer than necessary. But he didn't seem to mind as he was leaning against my chest. I kissed his cheek and I was a bit overwhelmed by how innocently I can act around him. He changed me and I was so happy about it that my cheeks were fuchsia pink.  
"I got you a present, Ash," he said when I let go of him and took a rectangular shape of a present from his bag. I observed it a bit and then took it from him.  
"I have one for you, too," I smiled and handed him mine.  
"Let's open them together, yeah?"  
"Okay..."  
And we both tore the paper at the same time, revealing exactly the same book. We both stared at the thing in our hands and then burst out in a fit of laughter.  
And then he said something I thought I would say.  
"Open it on the first page." and I smiled because I was about to say the same thing.  
"You, too." and we both did as told.  
Ashton, you are an amazing boy. You changed my life even though you've been there for such a short peirod of time. But... Will you be my boyfriend? xx  
I read in my own and then I felt him staring at me because in his one, there were some word scribbled down as well.  
I've never met anyone more perfect than you, Luke. You make my life worth living and I feel like I'm not the same when I'm not around you. So... Will you make me the favour of being my boyfriend?  
So we both grinned and then connected our lips in a oh yes I will way.


End file.
